National Teen Driver Safety Week Is Underway - KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News Source

Keeping Teen Drivers Safe; CHP Can Help

The California Highway Patrol says traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States and California.

To help bring awareness to this problem, the CHP is participating in the 6th annual National Teen Driver Safety Week, which runs through Saturday, October 20.

"This week is dedicated to focusing attention on a national concern as a way to bring about change locally," said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. "By educating new drivers early on and arming them with the information needed to become a safe driver, our goal is to prevent future tragedies from occurring on the road."

According to the CHP's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System for 2010, there were more than 57,000 drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 involved in car crashes in California. The CHP says a teen driver was determined to be at fault in 67 percent of those collisions.

Beginning drivers and their parents are invited to learn more about how to stay safe on the road by enrolling in the CHP's Start Smart program.

For more information about Start Smart, click here: www.chp.ca.gov/community/startsmart.html.